The Federal Government is set to distribute 2,000 tractors and 9,000 implements to farmers nationwide as part of a broader strategy to boost dry season and year-round farming, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.
Speaking during a television interview on Friday, Kyari emphasized that the machinery, which had been commissioned earlier in the year, is now ready for deployment and will not be “for show” but for direct use on farms across the country.
“Those 2,000 tractors and 9,000 different implements to go with them were commissioned, but at the time land preparation for the wet season had passed. Nobody would use a tractor at that time,” Kyari said.
“Very soon we are going to roll out these tractors so that we can face the dry season and all-year-round farming that Mr. President is encouraging.”
Tractor Allocation to Be Monitored and Digitized
To prevent misuse and ensure accountability, the Minister disclosed that the tractors will be geofenced and geolocated, with performance tracked based on hectares cultivated annually.
“We are working on modalities where anybody allocated a tractor must have a specific number of hectares to cultivate. A single tractor can do almost 500 hectares a year. If someone owns only 80 to 100 hectares, they must allow neighbors to access the tractor as well, at cost,” he explained.
The initiative, part of Nigeria’s broader mechanized farming agenda, aims to boost productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure efficient use of agricultural inputs.
Belarus Tractor Deal, Financing Delays Addressed
Responding to concerns over delays in tractor delivery from Belarus, Kyari confirmed that the equipment — including tractors, spare parts, and mobile workshops — has been delivered to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. However, he said that full deployment is awaiting completion of financing arrangements.
“We signed the contract in September 2024 with delivery aimed at September 2025. The tractors have arrived, but financing and allocation modalities are being finalized. In the past, we had tractors disappearing across borders. That will not happen this time,” he assured.
Green Imperative Programme Gains Momentum
Kyari also highlighted progress on the Green Imperative Programme, a $1 billion mechanization initiative originally launched in 2017. He noted that significant headway has been made in the last two years under President Bola Tinubu, including new agreements and MOUs.
“Even the Brazilians were surprised at the traction this programme has made. We’re now working on the funding mechanism to ensure sustainable implementation,” Kyari said.
Temporary Food Importation Policy and Fertilizer Subsidy
On Nigeria’s controversial food importation policy, the Minister clarified that the window was temporary and had already closed.
“The importation window was for only six months. The volume brought in was not enough to discourage local farmers,” he said.
Kyari emphasized that during that period, the government took deliberate steps to support local farmers, including the free distribution of two billion bags of fertilizer ordered by President Tinubu and the NAGS programme, which subsidized fertilizer costs by 50%.
“There was a lot of production in 2024, and I would say broadly that food prices have crashed,” he added.
Tackling Food Storage and Post-Harvest Losses
On the issue of post-harvest losses, Kyari said the government is actively courting private sector investors to develop additional grain storage infrastructure. He presented Nigeria’s investment opportunity at the recent Africa Food Summit in Dakar, positioning food storage as a critical area for private participation.
“We have 33 silo sites, 17 have been concessioned, but only three are functioning. We currently have 1.3 million metric tons of storage, while producing over 50 million tons of grains,” he said.
Kyari stressed that more localized storage systems are needed, bringing silos closer to farmers to reduce spoilage and improve food security.
